Ship construction today is a complicated compound of art and science. In the great days of sail, vessels were designed and built on the basis of practical experience; ship construction was predominantly a skill. With the rapid growth and development of the physical sciences, beginning in the early 19th century, it was inevitable that hydrokinetics (the study of fluids in motion), hydrostatics (the study of fluids at rest), and the science of materials and structures should augment the shipbuilder’s skill. The consequence of this was a rapid increase in the size, speed, commercial value, and safety of ships.

A naval architect asked to design a ship may receive his instructions in a form ranging from such simple requirements as “an oil tanker to carry 100,000 tons deadweight at 15 knots” to a fully detailed specification of precisely planned requirements. He is usually required to prepare a design for a vessel that must carry a certain weight of cargo (or number of passengers) at a specified speed with particular reference to trade requirements; high-density cargoes, such as machinery, require little hold capacity, while the reverse is true for low-density cargoes, such as grain.

Deadweight is defined as weight of cargo plus fuel and consumable stores, and lightweight as the weight of the hull, including machinery and equipment. The designer must choose dimensions such that the displacement of the vessel is equal to the sum of the deadweight and the lightweight tonnages. The fineness of the hull must be appropriate to the speed. The draft—which is governed by freeboard rules—enables the depth to be determined to a first approximation.

After selecting tentative values of length, breadth, depth, draft, and displacement, the designer must achieve a weight balance. He must also select a moment balance because centres of gravity in both longitudinal and vertical directions must provide satisfactory trim and stability. Additionally, he must estimate the shaft horsepower required for the specified speed; this determines the weight of machinery. The strength of the hull must be adequate for the service intended; detailed scantlings (frame dimensions and plate thicknesses) can be obtained from the rules of the classification society. These scantlings determine the requisite weight of hull steel.

The vessel should possess satisfactory steering characteristics and freedom from troublesome vibration and should comply with the many varied requirements of international regulations. Possessing an attractive appearance, the ship should have the minimum net register tonnage, the factor on which harbour and other dues are based. (The gross tonnage represents the volume of all closed-in spaces above the inner bottom. The net tonnage is the gross tonnage minus certain deductible spaces that do not produce revenue. Net tonnage can therefore be regarded as a measure of the earning capacity of the ship, hence its use as a basis for harbour and docking charges.) Passenger vessels must satisfy a standard of bulkhead subdivision that will ensure adequate stability under specified conditions if the hull is pierced accidentally, as through collision.

Compromise plays a considerable part in producing a satisfactory design. A naval architect must be a master of approximations. If the required design closely resembles that of a ship already built for which full information is available, the designer can calculate the effects of differences between this ship and the projected ship. If, however, this information is not available, he must first produce coefficients based upon experience and, after refining them, check the results by calculation.

Shipbuilding

The wooden ship was constructed on a building berth, around which timbers and planking were cut and shaped and then fitted together on the berth to form the hull. A similar practice was followed with iron vessels and, later, with the earlier steel ships, as these tended to be replicas of wooden hulls. Gradually iron came to be used more effectively in its own right, rather than as a substitute for timber. The berth or slipway from which the vessel is launched is an assembly area, rather than a ship construction site. In many shipyards the number of launching berths has been reduced to increase the ground area available for prefabrication sheds. Greater ease of fabrication means that, despite the reduction in the number of berths, more ships can be built and construction costs lowered.

A shipbuilder undertakes to deliver to the client by a certain date and for a stated sum a vessel with specific dimensions, capabilities, and qualities, a vessel that has been tested on trial and is ready for service. The function of a shipyard is the production of completed ships in accordance with the shipbuilder’s undertakings. The raw materials for construction and finished items to be installed on board are delivered there. The labour force in the yard consists of various workmen—steelworkers, welders, shipwrights, joiners, plumbers, turners, engine fitters, electricians, riggers, and painters.

Management is headed by a chairman and a board of directors, consisting usually of about 6 to 12 members from the technical, commercial, and secretarial departments, with one or more representing outside interests. The chief departments are the design, drawing, and estimating offices, planning and production control, the shipyard department—responsible for construction up to launching—and the outside finishing department, which is responsible for all work on board after launching. Other departments are responsible for buying and storekeeping and the yard maintenance.

The construction of the hull is only one of a shipbuilder’s responsibilities. As soon as a contract is placed, he must negotiate with subcontractors for the supply of items that shipyards do not produce—the electric power plant, propulsion machinery, shafting and propellers, engine-room auxiliaries, deck machinery, anchors, cables, and furniture and furnishings. Production planning and control is therefore a complex undertaking, covering subcontracts, assembly, and installation, in which costs must be kept as low as possible.

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